13K Acre Wildfire Could Grow To NJ's Largest In 20 Years, Officials Say

LACEY, NJ — The 13,250 acre wildfire burning through South Jersey is expected to keep growing and potentially become the state's largest in about 20 years, authorities said Wednesday afternoon.

The Jones Road Wildfire, which began in Barnegat Tuesday morning and grew north into Waretown and Lacey, will likely not be fully contained until this weekend. As of Wednesday, it's reached 50 percent containment. The containment area spans 15,140 acres.

"We fully expect that we will see, ultimately, when all is said and done, a greater number of acreage affected," New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette told reporters Wednesday afternoon. "And this could very well end up being the largest wildfire New Jersey has seen in 20 years."

The previous worst fire happened in 2007, just a short distance from where Wednesday's press conference was held. The Warren Grove Wildfire was caused by bombing and ended up burning through 17,000 acres of the Pinelands.

However, thanks the work of firefighters and dozens of additional agencies, "we truly averted a major disaster," LaTourette said. Hundreds of firetrucks from Ocean, Monmouth, Gloucester, Camden and Burlington counties helped fight the flames on Tuesday night.

The fire's cause is still under investigation. Ongoing dry conditions and strong winds contributed to the blaze growing and changing so rapidly. The fire also falls in peak spring fire season - it started April 22, and officials consider peak to be April 20.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said that the state has seen 662 wildfires this year, compared to 310 last year at this time. He said his team has been working "nonstop" to quell blazes since this past fall.

Trevor Raynor, who works for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said that initial attacks on the fire repeatedly failed as it kept changing. About 100 firefighters are out on the fire line Wednesday working to reduce smoke and get roads reopened.

"We aren't out of the woods yet," Raynor said. "We feel good about this, but we're still working toward it."

No injuries or deaths have been reported. No homes have been lost, though a single family home was damaged, and a business was destroyed in Lacey, according to Lacey Mayor Peter Curatolo. Multiple outbuildings and vehicles also were damaged.

The Jones Road Wildfire is still active as of Wednesday afternoon and will keep growing. It's expected to keep burning for a few days.

But if the weather forecast holds, South Jersey should see rain Friday into Saturday, and that will help. As long as we see that rain, the fire should be fully contained by this weekend, Donnelly said.

Additional reporting:

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• Wildfire Power Outage Keeps Businesses Closed In Southern Ocean
• Oyster Creek Owner Clarifies Plant Status Amid Wildfire In Lacey
• NJ Farm Evacuates Multiple Horses As Jones Road Wildfire Burns: Report
• Jones Road Wildfire Prompts State Of Emergency In South Jersey
• NJ Wildfire: Pictures, Videos Depict Damage As Fire Rages
• Wildfire Grows To 3,200 Acres In Barnegat: Officials